Hardy, Notes on Ramsden's Cave. [ '*^'i^j. 



Vict. Nat. 



To proceed one must plunge in and either wade or swim to 

 the end of the 40 feet section of the pool where the water is 

 shallower, and whence it extends at varying depths, according to 

 the irregularities of the rough rock on the bottom, through 

 passages mostly with parallel walls, but in one place opening 

 out into a rudely triangular chamber 20 feet wide, beyond which 

 the passage formation is resumed, until at the entrance to the 

 last compartment there is a narrow way through which a man 

 of more than average size cannot pass with a whole skin. This 

 narrow way has been christened " Martin's Jamb," because of 

 an incident of local interest in which Mr. Martin, J. P., of Apollo 

 Bay, figured as principal actor. 



The inner chamber differs from the others in bearing some 

 little resemblance to a solution cave, the illusion being caused by 

 the presence of a few stalagmites and stalactites at its northern 

 extremity, the former about 12 inches high and a couple of 

 inches thick and blunt topped, and the latter of the shape and 

 colour of parsnips a couple of feet long, and coloured brown in 

 parts as though ferruginously stained — these, and the somewhat 

 dome-shaped ceiling, together with a frosting of small gypsum 

 crystals (selenite) on the walls. These crystals occur in other 

 parts of the cave, but not so conspicuously. There seems to be 

 no water entering the cave except the drip from the main 

 chamber ceiling ; this our improvised torch illumined sufficiently 

 to show that no stalactites had formed. Throughout there is a 

 high-water mark about 3 feet above the surface of the pool, but 

 the present level has not altered materially in the twelve months 

 during which it has been under observation. The sources of supply 

 are the ceiling drip, ooze slowly descending the walls, and 

 southerly rain, of which a little enters directly, and more, arrested 

 by the vertical cliff-face, runs down and in. This supply 

 evidently balances the loss by evaporation and soakage. Evapora- 

 tion is small, the air temperature of the cave in March last being 

 about 50 deg. F. ; soakage through the floor is retarded by the 

 accumulation of fine mud, which has choked the crevices. Yet it 

 is probable that a stream of water at one lime entered from a 

 creek or marsh, if the results of microscopical examination of a 

 sample of the pool-water may be taken as satisfactory. 



The sample was collected by Mr. Ramsden in March, 1909, in, 

 he assures me, a clean, dry medicine bottle. The water when 

 received was clear as crystal, and was not critically examined until 

 the end of the following summer, when a film of Pleurococcus had 

 formed on the glass, the bottle having been tightly corked and 

 exposed to direct sunlight. 



While examining this green alga I was surprised to find asso- 

 ciated with it numerous empty frustules of a diatom which agrees 

 with descriptions given by Schmidt, VanHeurck, and by G. S. West 

 of Ilant-^scJiia aniphioxya (Ehrcnb.), Grun. Not a single living 



